Let Me Be Your Hero
by ASiriuslyGleekyTimeLord
Summary: What happens when Sophie leaves and the team comes under attack? How will they recover...and how will they survive? This is my first multi-chapter Leverage fic, so I hope you all will read and review! Flames are welcome.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage…if I did, we wouldn't have to wait until freaking summer for new episodes…they would be airing right now! Oh, yeah, and for all the people in my roleplay, if I owned Leverage, you can bet half that stuff would be actual episodes! Of course, the actor's might freak out a bit…

A/N: Alright, everyone, you need to listen to me very carefully. The prologue could probably stand alone as a one-shot, but it's not. This is a multiple chapter fic, so don't think it's over. This is going to be good. There is going to be action, romance, tearing up if you are an emotional person, something for everyone. Pairings are Nate/Sophie and Hardison/Parker. Sorry, I'm still getting into the Parker/Eliot category…give me time! Please, read, review and enjoy!

Let Me Be Your Hero

Prologue

Sophie stood in the doorway to Nate's office, watching him sleep. He had passed out in the armchair, a glass of scotch still sitting in his hand.

She had tears in her eyes as she walked forward and set a note down on top of the glass. Then, bending down, she kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Please understand Nate, I'm doing this for us," she whispered before straightening up and leaving the room, heading for the door.

"So you're just going to leave?"

Sophie turned around and saw Parker standing there, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. She was glaring at Sophie which caused the grifter to look away in shame. They could hear Eliot and Hardison cheering for the hockey game in the screening room.

"I have to Parker. He needs time, and he won't get that if I'm here," Sophie whispered, praying that the girl would understand.

"Fine, whatever," the thief said, turning her back on Sophie who ran forward and pulled Parker into a hug.

"I will come back, I promise. But please, watch after him for me," she asked quietly, pulling back and looking Parker in the eyes.

"Sure Sophie," the thief said, giving her an awkward hug back and pulling away, walking towards the screening room. "I'll explain it to the guys; go, before you change your mind," Parker called softly.

Sophie nodded and turned, hurrying out of the office. She made it down to her car and got in, clutching the steering wheel and resting her forehead against it. "I'm sorry Nate," she whispered through her tears before turning the key in the ignition and driving off down the road, heading for the airport.

Nate woke up slowly with a huge headache. He would have kicked himself for drinking so much if he hadn't cared about making his hangover worse. He opened his eyes and looked around, his gaze shifting around the room until he realized the glass was still in his hand.

Looking down, Nate saw a piece of paper covering the glass. On it, in Sophie's neat handwriting, was his name. Frowning, he picked up the note and unfolded it. His eyes read over the words and a mixture of grief and anger cut through him.

_Nate,_

_I know that you will never be able to forgive me for leaving you like this, but this is the only way that I see our relationship having any hope of surviving. You're still hurting, and no matter how much urging I give you, you still won't help yourself. So until you do, I'm going away for a while. Please, don't try to find me. I will come back to you Nate, we just need some time…_

_Forever yours in heart, body and soul,_

_Sophie_

Nate crumpled up the note in his hand, picked up the glass and, screaming, threw it across the room, letting it smash into the wall and shatter into pieces. The rest of his scotch dripped down the paint covered plaster and he watched as it slowly made its way to the floor.

Quickly, Nate walked out of his office and down the hall, going into Sophie's. It was exactly the same, she hadn't taken anything with her. _I will come back to you Nate_, she had wrote, maybe she meant it. Time passed and Nate realized that this was all his fault, his own doing. He sank to his knees on the floor, Sophie's note still clenched in his hand.

Silent tears fell from his eyes and after a while he felt someone watching him. His head jerked around and he saw Parker, Eliot and Hardison standing in the doorway. "What are you doing here?" he barked, standing up and glaring at them.

"We're here to help you Nate," Eliot said, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Are you finally ready to accept it?"

Their leader stood there, glaring at them for what seemed like forever and it was so silent, they could have heard a pin drop. Then he sighed and his shoulders hunched in defeat. He nodded his head and Parker walked forward, taking a place at his side and throwing her arm across his shoulders.

"Well then, we should get started, shouldn't we?" she asked, leading him out of the office and down the hall to the screening room. There was a long road ahead of them, and it wouldn't be easy, but it was for the best…

A/N: Alright, just one quick thing before you press that beautiful button down there and send me your comments…I would like to dedicate this story to my peeps, Selene Antilles, Morralls, leverage fan, irishgirl72221, Technical Joe, and our newest friend, the first Leverage fan I have yet to meet from the UK, playercazmac24. Guys, this one is for all of you!


	2. Chapter 1: Three Months Headquarters

Disclaimer: I still don't own Leverage…what, you thought that status would change in 24 hours? No…unfortunately for me…

A/N: I know that I don't have that many reviews at this point, but I have a couple of friends…cough cough Moralls and Irish…who wanted me to get this posted, so guys, this is going out to you! I wouldn't survive until July without you!

Chapter 1: Three Months…Headquarters

Nate was pacing around the office as though someone had shoved an ant farm down his pants. Eliot had gone out to double check some information for their latest job and was on his way back. "Did you get everything we need Eliot?" Nate asked, taking a drink of coffee.

"Yeah, we're good to go. It won't take too much to bring this guy down. Do you need me to do anything else before I come back?" Eliot asked as he climbed into his truck.

"No, come on home," Nate said. He heard Parker and Hardison in the screening room, laughing at whatever movie the hacker had playing. He grinned and leaned against the desk in the front of the office.

Three months…it had been three months since they had seen Sophie. She hadn't made any attempt to contact them and Nate, according to her wishes, had not tried to find her. It hurt him every day that he walked into the office and she wasn't there to greet him, but he found that he was able to survive knowing that she would be coming back.

Nate walked towards the kitchen to get more coffee when he heard a sound from somewhere behind him. He spun around and was immediately thrown against the wall. He slammed into it, grunting in pain and sliding to the floor, struggling to get back to his feet. "Parker! Hardison! RUN!" he shouted right before someone wrapped their arm around his neck and pulled him the rest of the way up, holding him against the person's chest and lifting him off the ground. Nate kicked his feet and tried to punch the guy wherever he could, trying to get free.

"Nate! NATE! What's going on?!" Eliot shouted over the comm.

Nate tired to respond, but the only sound that came out was a strangled cry. He was grateful that he couldn't hear any noise coming from anywhere else in the office, meaning that Hardison and Parker had taken his advice and gotten out. He could feel himself slipping away thanks to lack of oxygen when something hard connected with his head and he lost consciousness.

Hardison and Parker were watching Envy in the screening room and heard Nate talking to Eliot out in the main office. Parker grinned and leaned into the hacker as they enjoyed the movie when all of a sudden they heard Nate shouting.

"Parker! Hardison! RUN!"

They both jumped up and ran to the doorway, watching as Nate was picked up by a monster of a man. They could see he was being strangled, but before Hardison could do anything, Parker was dragging him out the back way of the screening room and to her office. She pulled him over to the window and opened it, practically shoving him out onto the fire escape. "Go!" she hissed.

"What about you?" he asked, panicked.

"I promised Sophie I would watch after Nate, that's what I'm going to do. Now go!" she exclaimed, closing the window, locking it and blowing him a kiss before running back for the hallway and the screening room.

She crept around, peeking around the corner. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Nate unconscious on the floor. "Oh Nate," she whispered.

Parker pulled back into the room and tried to come up with some sort of escape plan. _Come on Parker, think…you don't know how many of them there are, or where they are throughout the office, and yet you have to try and get Nate and then get out of here before they catch you…no, that's not asking too much is it? _she thought to herself as she stood there.

She was trying to come up with a plausible idea, but just couldn't come up with one. There was no way she could pull this off with the amount of information she had. _What would Nate do? He would send us in to get more information. What would Alec do? He would hack the systems and find out where everyone is based on the security footage…but I can't hack…I'm so freaking toast, _she thought, looking down the hall again and seeing two guys carrying Nate away. _COME ON PARKER! _she screamed at herself.

Acting on instinct, Parker ran down the hall, ducking and sliding into the lobby, kicking the feet out from under one guy and jumping up to take down the guy who had a hold of Nate's legs, releasing her boss and causing the other guy to lose his grip too. Parker grabbed Nate and threw him over her shoulder, running back down the hall.

She made it to the screening room when a fist shot out of it and she was sent sprawling to the floor, blood streaming from her nose. She screamed in pain, clutching it as she saw all the guys running towards her and Nate. Parker took a protective crouch in front of Nate, spreading her arms wide to keep them from getting to him.

"Oh, look at the little girl, trying to protect her leader. That's very touching," the man in the screening room said, walking up to them. He had a heavy accent, and if she had to place, she would have to have said that it was something Eastern Europe…maybe close to Russian.

"What do you want?" she asked, panting as he crouched down in front of her.

"Revenge for my father's death," he spat and punched Parker in the side of the head, sending her to the floor, unconscious. "Take them and go, I will look for any others."

Hardison made it down to the street with no one following him. He was about to leave the alley when a hand covered his mouth and an arm around his gut pulled him back down it.

"It's me," Eliot hissed in his ear, releasing the hacker. "Where are Nate and Parker?"

"Nate was in some big trouble. Parker made me go and went back for him."

"Darn it Parker!" Eliot muttered, running his hand through his hair. "Did you see who these guys were?"

"I only saw one of them and he was huge! We need to get up there and help them!"

Hardison made a move for the street, planning on taking an elevator back up to the office, but Eliot grabbed his arm and held him there. "No, that is at the top of the list of things we're not going to do," Eliot said, shoving Hardison back down the alley and looked around the corner. "And that is why."

The hacker ran up to the hitter's side and watched as five large thugs in suits came out of the building, one with an unconscious Nate thrown over his shoulder and another with an unconscious and bloody Parker in his arms. Eliot growled as they watched their teammates be carried over to two black SUV's and were unceremoniously thrown in the back. The muscle got in, but only the SUV with Parker drove off, leaving the other one sitting idly.

"What are they waiting for?" Eliot muttered. A few minutes later one final man, very well tailored in a black Armani suit, and very large, came out of the building and got into the passenger seat of Nate's SUV. Eliot tensed up when he got a look at the man's face through the windshield before it drove away. Even Hardison thought the man looked familiar.

"I'm getting the license plate," the hacker said.

"Don't bother, he's not going to make an amateur mistake like that," Eliot said, leaning back against the brick of the building.

"Do you know who that is?" Hardison asked.

"Yeah, I do. And I know where's he's going. But we need help. Come on," Eliot said, running to his truck. "Go get your laptop and get back down here! We need to book a flight! Now!"

"Where?!" Hardison shouted, running for the door.

"Paris!"

A/N: You know you want more…to get more…I need reviews people! So come on! Show me you love me and press that button!


	3. Chapter 2: Three Months Sophie

Disclaimer: Do I even need to say it? Really? *sighs* Fine…I don't own Leverage…I wish I did…

A/N: Yeah…this is the chapter that I really don't like…it didn't turn out how I hoped, but chapter three is pretty good, so that's why I'm posting them pretty close together. This one is short, little to no dialogue, just a gentle reprieve before we go full force. Enjoy…

Chapter 2: Three Months…Sophie

Light streaming in through the window was what woke Sophie Devereaux that morning. She stretched languidly and opened her eyes slowly, reveling in the comfort of her bed.

It had been this way for the past three months, ever since she had left Portland and her family behind. It had hurt unbearably, so much so that she had almost called the whole thing off, but then she just reminded herself that this might just be the final push Nate needed to finally get _it _together, so that they could _be _together.

She rolled over on her side, her eyes lighting on the photo on her nightstand. It was over her and Nate in Tuscany, they had gone to the market and someone had taken their picture. They were laughing, his arms wrapped around her and their faces pressed up against each other. She smiled and stroked the photo before sliding out from under the covers.

Sliding her slippers on, Sophie stood and walked over to the futon, grabbing her robe and stepping out onto the patio.

The sun was just rising over the Parisian countryside and she smiled at the multi-colored sky, inhaling the refreshing morning air. _This is the perfect morning to go for a walk…_Sophie thought to herself, basking in the early morning glow before returning inside and getting dressed.

After a light breakfast of toast and tea, Sophie walked outside and started to walk down the country path that led from her home into the woods and circled back. She always loved walking down the path and looking to see what sorts of wildlife she might be able to spot. It was so quiet and gave her a chance to just relax and think about things.

She took her good sweet time that morning and by the time she got back to her house, it was going on noon. She was hungry, so she decided to go into town and get a small lunch at her favorite café. After getting changed, she got into her car and drove the fifteen minutes into the heart of Paris, France.

By 12:30 she was sitting at the restaurant, sipping a glass of Moscatto and eating her chicken salad, watching the people go by. As she glanced around at the other diners, a man sitting a few tables away caught her eye and flashed her a smirk, feeling flirtatious apparently. Sophie just smiled and held up her left hand, flashing him her ring and letting him know, _Sorry buddy, I'm taken…_To this guy, she would be Sarah Jane Baker, wife of Tom Baker. Even if they weren't on a job, she would still use the persona to make sure she wouldn't have to beat hungry bachelors away with a stick. The guy frowned in defeat and returned to his steak. Sophie grinned even harder and finished her salad.

This was her life, what she did every day since she had left Nate behind. It helped her not to think about what she was risking. It would be easy for him to go back to Maggie, but if he loved her as much as she hoped he did, then he would wait for her to come back. She hoped he wouldn't have to wait too much longer because she was getting bored out of her mind!

The monotony of life in Paris was worse than she could ever have imagined was possible. Even trips to the Louvre were painful because she would just itch to go back to the old Sophie and steal a painting or two…maybe a sculpture too…She wanted to get back on another job, put her skills to use, anything! There were only so many pairs of shoes in Paris that she could buy!

Sophie sighed and left the restaurant, deciding that she would walk around the city, maybe do some shopping before she would get dinner that evening and return home.

As Sophie walked through the crowded streets she realized that relaxation was extremely overrated…

Little did she know, she was going to be wishing she could relax with events that were about to follow…

A/N: I hope to get chapter three up tonight…if not, then tomorrow! Please review!


	4. Chapter 3: Getting Help

Disclaimer: I don't know why I have to keep doing this! I just told you earlier that I don't own Leverage, and that didn't change in the course of five hours! Oh well…I don't own Leverage…forgive me Timothy Hutton…forgive me…

A/N: Okay guys, this is the longest chapter yet…and my favorite…aside from the first one…It answers a lot of questions…even though someone guessed it right…am I that obvious?! Oh well, enjoy!

Chapter 3: Getting Help

Five days later and Sophie's day started out very much the same, but when she ended up at the café for lunch and was sitting outside, enjoying her salad, something didn't feel quite right. It almost felt as though she was being watched. Looking around, she didn't see anything out of place and yet she couldn't quite shake that feeling.

She ate a little faster and instead of walking around for a while decided to just go back home. While she drove down the country road, she noticed a black car about a hundred feet behind her. Normally, she would have brushed this off as a couple on a day trip, except that Sophie realized something. That car had been across the street from the restaurant. Her pulse quickened involuntarily and she pressed down on the gas pedal a little harder.

Sophie breathed a sigh of relief when she pulled into her drive and the black car drove by without even slowing down. She sat in her car a minute, calming down, before climbing out and going inside. The first place she went? The kitchen…she needed a cup of tea.

Tea in hand, Sophie grabbed a book, Romeo and Juliet, from her bedroom and stepped out onto the patio. She sat back in her chair, basking in the warmth of the sun before picking up the play and beginning to read.

Sophie jerked awake, book open on her lap, and the sun was a little lower in the sky. She looked around, searching for what had woken her up. Turning towards the house, she noticed that one of the glass doors was slightly ajar.

Freezing in place, Sophie listened, but could not hear anything. She stood and slowly made her way into the houses. Walking into the kitchen she saw the refrigerator door was open and there was a pair of jeans peeking out underneath. Sophie was about to scream, to demand what this person was doing there, when a voice issued forth in a southern drawl.

"You got any bottled water in here darlin'?"

Sophie almost collapsed when the door closed and her eyes met Eliot's.

"What on earth are you doing here? I told Nate not to try and find me," she said, walking over to the fridge and opening the other side, pulling out a bottle and handing it to him.

"Nate…Nate didn't have anything to do with this. We need your help Sophie," Eliot said, twisting open the cap and taking a large drink.

"Who's 'we'?" Sophie asked slowly, leaning against the counter.

"Me and Hardison…and Nate and Parker," he finished, sighing and rubbing his eyes.

"Where are they?" she asked.

"Hardison's passed out in your living room, sorry, didn't know where else to put him. And the other two…we're not one hundred percent sure, but we know what city they're in."

Sophie paused, staring at Eliot as he met her gaze. "I think you had better tell me what is going on," she said carefully.

Eliot sighed and looked at her sadly. "Sophie, it would be easier for me to show you, but it's going to be hard to watch."

"Eliot, show me, tell me, I don't care, just let me know what's going on!" Sophie exclaimed. He looked her over , sizing her up, before nodding and leading her to the living room.

Hardison was sitting on the couch, head thrown back, snoring loudly. The grifter walked over and while Eliot snatched up a duffle bag at Hardison's feet, she pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over the younger man gently.

"Come on," she whispered, "we can go in my study."

Leading Eliot down the hall, Sophie pushed open one of the doors and ushered him into her sanctuary.

It was like a small library, with various paintings and sculptures scattered around the room for décor. Against the wall to the right were a couple chairs, a couch and in front of them was a large plasma screen television set with a full entertainment system.

"I'm guessing it's security footage," Sophie said, taking the DVD case Eliot offered her and walking over to the system, popping it into the six DVD changer.

"You might want to sit down," Eliot suggested as he himself too one of the chairs.

"I'll stand, thank you Eliot," she retorted, snapping at him a bit. His behavior was starting to freak her out and she didn't react well when she was freaking out. Instead, the grifter stood there, arms crossed over her chest as she watched the footage.

She felt her eyes well up with tears as she watched Nate be overtaken by a brute in a suit, crying out in shock and pain when another man hit him over the head with the butt of a gun, causing him to go limp.

Four other men walked in, bringing the total of invaders to six. Nate was released and fell to the floor like a rag doll. Two of the men walked over and picked Nate up, carrying him towards the door.

All of a sudden, a black and gold blur slid onto the screen and knocked the thug to the ground. Sophie realized it was Parker as the thief took down one of them en carrying Nate and grabbed her boss, slinging him over her shoulder and running down the hall. The screen cut to black and shifted to footage of the screening room.

One of the men had moved there and was in the room just inside the doorway. When Parker tried to move through the room, this man struck her, sending her and Nate to the floor. Sophie watched as Parker crouched and spread her arms wide, protecting Nate. Blood was streaming from Parker's nose as the man who had hit her walked forward, crouched down in front of her and paused for a few moments before punching Parker in the side of the head and sending her to the floor unconscious.

The screen cut to black and this time stayed that way. Sophie stood there, shocked into silence, and she heard footsteps cross the floor and she was turned around and embraced by a pair of strong arms.

"We're gonna get them back," he said firmly. "They're gonna be fine."

Sophie nodded and collected herself. "When did this happen?" she asked.

"Six days ago."

"You said you knew where they are. Where?" she asked, pulling back. "And what took you so long to get here?!" she exclaimed, slapping his arm.

"You're hard to track when you don't want to be found. Luckily though, I figured you would be in Paris, so we just drove around trying to spot you. Finally, we did."

"The black car?"

"Yeah, we figured you would be freaked if we just pulled in, so we circled back around."

"Eliot, where are they?" Sophie demanded.

"Kiev," the retrieval specialist replied. "They were taken to Kiev."

"As in…the Butcher of Kiev?" she whispered.

Eliot sighed, nodding. "Actually, it's his son. He wants revenge for me killing his dad at the Mosconi wedding. We should just be glad that I wasn't at the office when they attacked," he muttered.

"Why?"

"Because we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. I don't think I could have taken down six of those guys, not in a surprise attack like this, and Sophie, they wouldn't have taken prisoners. That's the cold hard truth."

They stood there in silence and Sophie finally shivered, seeming to break out of a trance. "Alright, this is what we're going to do. We're going to book a flight to Kiev for first thing in the morning," she said, taking a deep breath in order to remain calm and think clearly. She trembled for a moment and went on. "I'm betting you two haven't gotten sufficient food or rest since this started, as proven by the passed out hacker on my couch. So, I'm going to get you some real food, some new clothes and you're going to get some rest. We'll need to be at our best for tomorrow," Sophie said, and even to Eliot, her tone left no room for argument.

"Alright Sophie," Eliot replied, nodding his head.

"Now go on upstairs, the guest bedroom are on the left. Get some rest. I'll book the tickets, order food and come wake you up when it gets here. Go."

Eliot nodded and left the study, leaving Sophie to her thoughts. As soon as she knew he was gone, she sank into a chair and buried her face in her hands and started to cry.

Who knew what they were doing to Nate and Parker while they were being held captive.

"Oh Nate, I'm so sorry I left you…" she sobbed quietly. "I'm so sorry."

It took a while of her sitting there to finally calm her down. Then, she steeled herself and left the study, going to do everything she needed to in order to get ready.

It was two in the morning and Sophie was lying in bed, wide awake. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't stop thinking about Nate. If she closed her eyes, she saw him on the video, struggling for breath or unconscious on the floor and it hurt. She felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest.

She was curled up on her side, tear tracks on her cheeks the only evidence that she had cried until there were no tears left to shed.

Slowly, Sophie reached over and picked the photo up from the nightstand and hugged it to her chest. She curled around it as much as was possible, trying to find some comfort.

She tried to imagine that day again, them laughing in the sun on a rock wall in Tuscany. She had been there stealing another couple paintings for her collections and he of course had been there to 'stop her'…if stopping her included taking her out to dinner and out for a night on the town.

Sophie imagined him laughing as he held her tight, and there in her bed, she could feel his arms wrapping around her, pulling her against his chest.

"Nate," she whispered into the darkness.

"Sleep Sophie, just sleep," she heard him whisper in her ear.

The grifter sighed, hugging the photo to her tighter as she finally drifted off into a fairly peaceful sleep.

The next morning found three fifths of the team boarding a plane to fly to Kiev. Eliot and Sophie were acting as an aunt and her nephew while Hardison was you normal everyday passenger…who just so happened to have won the lottery and was flying first class.

"When this is resolved Hardison, your butt's mine," Eliot muttered.

Sophie gave a sad grin and stared out the window, touching the cool glass. "We're on our way you two, just hold on," she whispered. "Please Nate, just hold on."

A/N: There's chapter 3, review and show me you love me!


	5. Chapter 4: Trapped in the Dark

Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage…

A/N: Yeah…if you like Nate and Parker…really really like them…you're going to want tissues. If you love Nate and or Parker…like, are madly in love with either one of them…I'm sorry…I feel your pain, and I wrote this!

Chapter 4: Trapped in the Dark

Parker was sleeping on the cold stone floor of the cell she and Nate had been thrown into together. Her head rested on Nate's folded up blazer as he gently stroked her hair. He smiled down at her sadly, glad that she was finally getting rest, but even that small comfort was drowned out by the state she was in.

Her face was cut and bruised, dried blood matted in her hair. Her right arm lay at her side, bent at an odd angle and Nate knew it was broken. The left arm draped across her torso protectively indicated damage to her ribs. She shifted in her sleep, causing her to wince and hiss in pain.

"Shh Parker…it'll be alright," he whispered, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face. Thankfully, she quieted down again as she fell back asleep.

_I wonder what the others are doing_, he wondered, leaning his head back against the wall. _Hopefully they scattered. Or at least Eliot and Hardison…Sophie can just stay wherever she is._

He sighed and looked out the small window to the outside. "Sophie," he whispered. "What will you do when I'm not there to go back to?"

She would probably assume the worst, that he had given up and left her. And then, quite possibly, she would move on. Would she even wonder where he was?

Parker shivered and Nate moved closer to her when she didn't stop. Gingerly, he laid down next to her and pulled her into his arms, trying to share body warmth.

Pain shot through his whole body and he knew that if they didn't get help soon, he wasn't going to make it. His chest was constantly on fire and it felt like at least three of his ribs were broken. His head still swam from the concussion, which obviously wasn't getting any better. His only concern at that point however, was taking care of Parker. She needed to survive, even if he didn't.

Sighing, he pulled her as close as he possibly could. He rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes. Eventually, Nate was able to drift off to sleep.

Nate awoke with a jerk the next morning when he heard a metal plate skim across the floor as it was shoved in through the flap at the bottom of the door. Parker was still deeply asleep and so Nate pulled away carefully, brushing hair from her face and pulling the plate over. There was only a small piece of bread and a very short glass of water. He sighed and set it next to Parker. The amount of food they got wasn't even enough to keep one person alive for very long, and she needed it more than him.

He sat there watching her and after a while she began to stir. Her eyes opened slowly and she tried to sit up, but Nate hurried to help so she didn't hurt herself.

"Morning," he said.

"Morn…ing," Parker rasped and Nate grabbed the water, handing it to her. She drank gratefully and set the glass back down. "Did they…come yet?" she asked weakly, leaning back against the wall next to him.

"Only to drop off room service," he said jokingly, handing her the bread. "You're breakfast mademoiselle."

"What about you?" she asked, taking it from him and eyeing him suspiciously.

"Oh, don't worry, I ate already," he said.

Parker ripped the bread in half and handed half to Nate. "Take it," she said.

"Parker, it's okay, I ate already," he said again.

"Liar, take it," she said, taking his hand and forcing his fingers around the bread. "You're starving, we both need it."

"You're in worse shape Parker," Nate protested, trying to give it back to her.

"And it's not going to help me get better if you're starving yourself to death so that I have more to eat," she said, taking a small bite out of her bread. Nate sighed and slowly ate his bread, glancing over at Parker every once in a while, wishing that there was some way he could get her out of there.

When they were finished eating and Parker had made Nate drink the rest of the water, she curled up against him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her against him.

"Do you know what I'm going to do when we get out of here?" he asked.

"What?" Parker rasped.

"I'm going to take you and Eliot and Hardison on a nice long vacation," he said, resting his cheek on the top of her head, comforting her as he would a daughter.

He heard her give a pained laugh and leaned into him. They both jumped when the door slammed open and two huge guards came walking in.

"Morning gentlemen, or is it afternoon?" Nate asked, releasing Parker and standing up slowly, trying to draw attention away from Parker. The guards however didn't go for it and one pushed past him to get to her. "No!" he snarled, moving forward, but was immediately grabbed from behind, holding him back. He struggled to break free but was too weak.

"Nate!" Parker cried as the guard grabbed her hair and started dragging her out of the cell.

"Parker!" he shouted as she was pulled out of the room. He heard her calling out to him in the hall, but the man holding him threw him against the wall and Nate hit his head. Lights flashed in front of his eyes as he heard the door slam shut and he was left alone.

Parker's cries still reached his ears and Nate slammed his fist against the wall, cursing himself for not being stronger.

The blonde thief was dragged down the hall to a room at the end where she was shoved in a chair and then tied down. She tried to break free, but every movement sent pain shooting through her chest.

Hadeon Volynskji, the Cleaver of Kiev, stepped forward, eying her speculatively. "How are you fairing my dear?" he asked, cracking his knuckles.

Parker glared at him but kept her mouth shut, refusing to give him the pleasure of an answer. He sighed.

"Parker, Parker, Parker, how many times must we go through this?" Hadeon asked, punching her in the face and grapping her hair and yanking her head back. "Where is he?"

"I…don't know…" she said through clenched teeth.

"Liar!" he shouted, whipping around and kicking her in the chest. She screamed in pain, tears coming to her eyes, gasping desperately for breath. "Where is he?!"

"I don't know!" Parker cried, her head falling forward, chin resting against her chest.

"I'm going to ask you one more time before this gets very bad. Where is he Parker? Where is Eliot Spencer?"

Parker gave a pained laugh and fixed the Cleaver with a defiant stare. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied.

Hadeon nodded and looked to someone standing behind her. Suddenly, it felt like fire was coursing through ever cell in her body and she screamed, but the scream became a name.

"NATE!"

The pain ended and Parker sagged in her chair, breathing heavily. "This will keep getting harder until you tell me where he is or I kill you," Volynskji said.

"You'll kill me anyway…what does it matter?" Parker gasped.

"I might kill you faster…which means less pain for you.

"You wouldn't…it wouldn't be…as fun…" she panted. He nodded, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He held out a hand and one of his cronies handed him a blade, glowing orange with heat.

"That's very true my dear," he said, stepping forward, holding the blade out. Parker, on instinct, tried to back away, but was trapped in the chair.

There was an orange blur and then Parker's whole gut was on fire. She screamed again, crying out for Nate inadvertently before passing out, embracing the darkness.

Nate's head jerked up at the sound of the door opening. Both guards were back and tossed the unconscious thief into the cell. He scrambled to her side and lifted her into his arms, cradling her on his lap. His eyes looked her over and rage boiled inside of him when he saw the gash on her stomach, deeper than he could care for, but, thankfully, cauterized so she wouldn't bleed out.

"Parker…" he whispered. "Can you hear me sweetie?"

She stirred, just barely, turning towards his voice. "Nate?" she asked, voice barely a whisper.

"Hey Parker," he said gently, smiling in relief.

"You called me sweetie…" she whispered before wincing in pain. "It hurts…oh…it hurts so much…" she moaned, tears creeping out form beneath her closed eyelids.

"I know…" he whispered in her ear. His one hand began to stroke her hair and rock her he back and forth ever so gently. "Shh…rest Parker…" he said over and over again until she finally passed out.

Nate held her a little longer before laying her down as softly as possible, resting her head on his blazer. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead before standing up. He glared at the guards standing in the doorway, knowing they were waiting for him.

They led him down the hall, one in front, one in back, back to where the Cleaver was waiting.

"Hello Mr. Ford," he said as Nate walked in and was shoved into the same chair Parker had occupied not that long ago. "How are you this fine day?"

Nate was silent, staring at the wall. Volynskji frowned and shrugged. "You try to be polite, you try to be civil and they refuse to cooperate. What else can you do?" he asked of no one in particular. He then reached forward and pulled Nate from the chair, dragging him over to a tin tub.

"Do you know what it feels like to drown Mr. Ford?" he asked before thrusting Nate's head into the water. He tried to struggle, but the guards grabbed his arms and held him in place.

Nate held his breath, but with each passing second his lungs felt more and more ready to burst. At the last second, he was pulled out and thrown to the floor gasping for breath.

"Mr. Ford, I know that I will not be able to break you physically," the Cleaver said before delivering a kick to Nate's chest. Nate cried out as his already broken ribs screamed in protest. He wrapped his arms around his chest and rolling over, tried to get away. "You have been trained too well. Your friend, however, is another story. She is very," a blow to the knee and Nate heard something crack, "very," a punch to the head, "fragile," and he picked Nate back up and threw him back in the water.

Nate struggled, adrenaline kicking in and giving him one last burst of strength, and he broke free. The Cleaver laughed at him.

"Ah, Mr. Ford, you are much more fun to play with. You have an inner fire that Ms. Parker is quickly losing. It is a shame…she might break in two days…two hours…two minutes…"

"You touch her again," Nate snarled as he painfully struggled to his feet. "You touch her again…and I'll freaking kill you…"

"I would like to see that Mr. Ford," Volynskji said, chuckling as he motioned to the other men in the room. They grabbed Nate's arms and held him as the Cleaver walked over and stopped a few feet in front of Nate. "If you just ell me where Eliot Spencer is, we can end this right here and right now."

"Obviously you know…the type of man Eliot is…how he operates…if he was running…he wouldn't tell anyone where he was going…" Nate panted heavily, wet hair hanging in his face.

Hadeon nodded before kicking Nate in the chest. The honest man had been through too much and quickly lost consciousness from pain, his screams fading into ragged breathing. The Cleaver grabbed Nate's hair and pulled his head back.

"Then you had better hope he comes for you…soon," he whispered before releasing Nate and allowing his guards to return the man to the cell and Parker.

Parker had woken at the sound of Nate's screams and lay there, pretending to be unconscious. When she heard the door open and felt Nate being thrown on the floor next to her, it took everything she had not to move.

She waited until the door closed again before her eyes flew open. He was in bad shape, really bad, but even if she knew what to do, there wasn't anything she could do. Instead, she sat up and leaned against the wall. Then, very carefully, she lifted his upper half and rested his head in her lap, brushing away the wet hair that was plastered to his face. As she watched him, she felt herself break down at the hopelessness of the situation.

"I don't know what to do Nate…" she whispered, staring at the wall. "I don't know what to do…please guys…you have to hurry…"


	6. Chapter 5: When in KievSave Your Team

Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage, probably never will…I'm so sad now…

A/N: I know guys, it's been forever since I updated, and I'm sorry. However, that is what happens when I get horrible writer's block. And believe me, I have had horrible writer's block on this chapter. I'm dedicating this chapter to a very special friend, irishgirl63005. I told her I would try to post two chapters today. Instead, I just combined two chapter's into one. This one's to you kid! So, read and review and maybe Nate will come to your house for a Leverage Party!

Chapter 5: When in Kiev…Save Your Team

"Sophie, come on, we're here."

Sophie jerked awake, her head on Eliot's shoulder as she sat up. "What time is it??" she asked, stretching.

"4:00. We should grab a bit to eat and then start surveillance," Eliot whispered. "There are a few places that I know the Butcher used to frequent, maybe the Cleaver uses them too."

"The Cleaver?" Sophie whispered and Hardison echoed over the phone.

"His father was the Butcher…what else are you gonna call the guy?" Eliot asked, shrugging.

Sophie shook her head and grabbed her overhead bag, following Eliot off the plane. They met Hardison at the gate and headed for the exit.

"I also called in a rental car for us," Sophie said as they stepped outside into the cool Ukrainian air. "And I think that just might be it," she said as she walked over to a man leaning against a red sports car.

"Oh, that's not conspicuous," Eliot muttered as he and Hardison followed.

"Oh shut it," Sophie whispered back. "We'll need to make a fast get away, hence the flashy yet fast car. Hello, is this for a Sarah Jane Barker?" she asked the man. He nodded and handed her the keys. He then turned and got into a black car behind them and drove off with his partner. Sophie smirked and tossed her bag to Alec. "Load up then get in."

"Shotgun!" Hardison called but Eliot was already climbing into the passenger seat. "Oh you have got to be kiddin' me…no respect, none for the geek."

"Shut up and get in the car Hardison," Eliot called and in a couple minutes the hacker was climbing into the backseat.

"So, where do you have us staying Sophie?" he asked.

"A little place I've stayed at before. You two should like it. And it has free wi-fi Hardison," she added, pulling onto the main highway and glancing back at him in the rearview mirror.

"You are breaking all the rules Sophie," Eliot said, shaking his head.

"Of course I am, think about it Eliot. They're going to be guessing that we're coming for Nate and Parker, and they'll know that we won't be stupid to stay in some fancy ritzy place, so they'll be checking for the low level, run down motels, while we comfortably will be staying in a ritzy place," she said, grinning as she sped up and passed two cars.

_We're gonna die_, Eliot thought to himself as Sophie sped on.

*****

At the hotel, they ordered room service and then Hardison started checking the Internet for anything he could.

"Okay, Hadeon Volynskji, also known as the Cleaver of Kiev…honestly, where do these guys come up with their names?" he asked, but when he received two glares, he cleared his throat and continued.

"So, when our dear Eliot here killed his daddy, Hadeon inherited all his father's possessions, including his position in the Ukrainian mob. He is very powerful and has his own mini army that is ready to do his bidding like a good army of mind controlled slaves. And, from pictures taken by several paparazzi members who have been horribly murdered in the past few months, his army is full of Terminators, so we might have a problem."

"No we won't, not if we can get in without being noticed. The trouble only appears if we get found out," Sophie said, taking a bite of her dinner.

"Which is a very strong possibility darlin'," Eliot said, taking a swig from his bottle of beer.

"Even if we get discovered, they have to survive our encounter. Are you ready to kill Eliot?" Sophie asked. "Because, there is a very strong possibility that it will come down to that."

"I am trained for that Sophie, the question is, are you ready?"

"Of course I am Eliot, I'm not some damsel in distress. I mean, I have shot Nate before, I can take down a human being I have no feelings for," she said casually, but Eliot could see the feeling of unease in her eyes.

"Any idea where he likes to hang his hat Hardison?" Eliot asked, turning his gaze back to the hacker after a minute.

"Some restaurants, but all of the sources I have say he likes to do his dirty business from this one abandoned warehouse on the edge of the city. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the perfect place to hold a couple of American prisoners," he said and Sophie nodded.

"That's probably where they're being held. Okay, we have to get them out as soon as possible, but we have to do this smartly at the same time. Any ideas?" she asked, glancing between hitter and hacker.

"First, let me go do some recon," Eliot said. "I'll scope the place out and try to figure out whether they're really there or not. Then we can come up with a plan and move in."

Sophie nodded even though Hardison seemed to want to protest the move. "Here," she said, tossing Eliot the keys for the car. "Just be careful."

"I will be darlin'."

*****

"Can you two hear me?" Eliot hissed as he ran up to the warehouse. He had left the car parked in an alley a few blocks away. Didn't need anyone knowing that he was there.

_"We can hear you fine,"_ Sophie said over the comm. and Eliot nodded, pulling out his binoculars.

"It's weird. You'd think there'd be security abounds," Hardison said.

"No you wouldn't," Eliot said. "He's in the mob Hardison. A full blown security detail would be screaming, 'This is where I am, come arrest me'."

"_Oh sure, just cause I don't normally deal with the mob,"_ the hacker muttered in Eliot's ear.

_"Do you see anything Eliot?"_ Sophie asked, cutting in on Alec's rant.

"I see some lights towards the back of the warehouse, I'm betting the cell would be towards the back too, just so they would be watched constantly. Give me a second to get closer," he whispered.

Eliot moved silently to the building and edged along the side. The windows were too high up for him too look in easily, but he would jump and try to look in. He continued to see nothing the further down the building he moved. Then, he started seeing guards here and there. "Okay, he's got men here," Eliot muttered quietly after one of the windows revealed a group playing poker. "Here's a dumpster, let me get a good look in this room."

He jumped up quietly onto the dumpster and peered in the window. "Nate?!" he hissed in surprise. "Parker?!"

_"Did you find them?!"_ Sophie exclaimed over the comm.

"Yeah, give me a sec," he said. He pressed on one of the panes and it came loose easily. "Nate! Get up off your freaking butt!"

Parker was the first one to stir. She looked around and Eliot noted her stiffness and when she finally spotted him, even at this distance, he could see the glazed look in her eyes. "Eliot?" she asked, barely daring to believe he was real.

"Hey Parker. Get Nate up," he said, but she shook her head sadly.

"I've been trying Eliot, but he lost consciousness this afternoon and I haven't been able to wake him up."

Eliot cursed under his breath. "How bad is he?"

_"How bad is who? Nate?"_ Sophie asked frantically over the comm.

"Sophie, shut up!" Eliot hissed. "Parker?"

"He's been beat pretty bad Eliot. I think they hurt him worse than me, but I can't be sure. They…they hurt us separately, so the other wouldn't know what to do."

"Alright Parker. We're gonna get you out. You just hold on and keep him breathing, you got me?" he said.

"We didn't tell him anything Eliot," she said quickly and the hitter nodded.

"I know you didn't darlin'. Now just rest, we'll have you out in no time."

Parker nodded and curled up against Nate again, making sure that he was still breathing, which he was. She was still facing Eliot at the window, not wanting to lose sight of him.

"Here Parker," he said, tossing something down to her. She caught the extra comm. in her hand. Her eyes lit up and she immediately put it in.

"Guys?" she asked, testing it out.

_"Parker!"_ Sophie and Hardison both exclaimed in relief. Then they both started talking at once.

_"Are you okay?"_

_"How's Nate?"_

_"How badly did they hurt you?"_

_"Is he still alive?"_

"Guys!" Eliot all but shouted and the line went silent. "Let her breathe, alright. Parker, put it in Nate's ear for a minute."

The blonde nodded and as she took out the comm. and put it in Nate's ear, Eliot heard the grifter sigh in his ear. "Go Sophie, talk to him."

_"Nate? Can you hear me?"_ she asked, but all she could hear was his shallow breathing_. "Nate, please, give me something. I swear, if you die on my, I'll shoot you in the afterlife."_

There was silence and she felt near tears when she heard a breathy sigh. "Soph…" It was weak, but it was there, and it was him.

_"That's right Nate, it's me. We're going to get you and Parker out of there, you just need to hold on a little longer. Don't you dare let go,"_ she ordered.

"Yes…ma'am…" he said before Eliot saw his head loll to the side.

"That's it Sophie, he's out," the hitter said and heard Sophie let out a sob on the other end. "Parker, take the comm. back. And make sure that you keep it in no matter what. We need to know what's going on."

The thief nodded and did as she was told. Eliot saw her eyelids drooping. "Sleep Parker, that's an order." She nodded again and her eyes slid closed. It wasn't long before he heard slow and steady breathing. "Hardison, Sophie, start talkin'. We need to get them out yesterday, but we need a plan," he said, jumping down from the dumpster and heading back for the car.

*****

Eliot loaded a fresh clip into one of the guns he had purchased and tossed it to Sophie. "What about me?" Hardison asked.

"Dude, the last time I gave you a gun, you aimed for a car tire and you hit a guy in the leg. You don't get ammo!" Eliot said.

"I've been working on my aim!" the hacker protested.

"Yeah, well I don't want to get shot in the leg!"

"Eliot! Give him a gun!" Sophie exclaimed. She had pulled out her own and was checking to make sure her clip was full. "We all need to be armed for this one. But Alec, don't fire unless absolutely necessary, understood?" she asked, and he nodded. Eliot handed him a gun unwillingly.

_"Eliot? Did you just give him a gun?"_ Parker asked over the comm.

"Yeah, don't worry darlin', he won't fire it unless I tell him to," he said, reassuring her.

"Any change Parker?" Sophie asked.

_"No Sophie, sorry,"_ the thief said apologetically. Sophie had been asking every ten minutes since Parker woke up how Nate was doing, and the fact that she hadn't gotten annoyed answering every time was amazing Eliot.

"Okay, Parker, they're going to know we're there before we get to you. You need to try and hide in there. I know it's hard, but try to go over to behind the door, so when it opens, it'll look like you're gone," Eliot said.

_"Alright,"_ she said and they could hear her movement, even her grunting as she moved Nate. He let out a shout and she hissed. _"Sorry Nate, sorry," _she said. _"No Sophie, it was just instinct,"_ Parker said, answering Sophie's unasked question.

"Time to move out," Eliot said and they left the car in the same alley from last night. They walked straight for the warehouse, losing all pretension of going in on surprise.

Sophie had wanted to go back to the dumpster with some rope and simply lift them out. However, both Hardison and Eliot had made the argument that that wouldn't solve anything. The Cleaver would just get ticked and come after them again. So, Eliot had thought that the best idea would be a head on attack. They could wipe out as many men as possible and kill Hadeon. Then there would be no more problem. He was an only child and had no children, therefore, no one left with a reason for revenge.

Eliot took the lead, flanked by Sophie on his right and Hardison on his left. They strode right up to the warehouse door and the hitter kicked the door in. Guards were running down the hall in an instant and Eliot quickly took aim and fired, hitting both in the chest and killing them. Four more guards came out of one of the rooms. Two started running for the cell while the other two charged the trio. This time, Eliot took one down and Sophie took the other.

"Come on," Eliot said and he ran down the hallway.

_"Eliot!"_ Parker screamed and they heard it not only over the comm. but also echoing down the hall. The hitter put on a burst of speed trying to get to them. He heard a groan of pain over the comm. and watched as one guard ran out of the cell ahead with Nate slung over his shoulder. He ran into the cell, knowing that Sophie and Hardison would go after the other one.

The remaining guard was beating Parker and tazered her in the side. She screamed in pain and Eliot raised his gun, aiming at the man's head and firing. The guard fell to the ground, dead instantly and Parker was left panting on the ground. Eliot hurried to her side and lifted her gently into his arms. "It's okay, Parker, I've got you," he whispered. Her eyes opened and she looked up at him through a haze of pain.

"I didn't know if you would make it," she whispered.

"Of course I made it. Now come on, we still have to save Nate," he said, heading out the door and towards the end of the hall where the others had run. They were almost at the door when they heard the gunshot and a scream.

*****

Sophie saw the guard with Nate over his shoulder and took off with a new speed, shooting at the man's legs, trying to hit him, to get him to stop, but then he was through the door. She put on another burst and was through the door mere seconds later. The guard no longer had Nate, but she shot him dead anyway. She looked around desperately and that's when she saw Nate, being held by Hadeon, the only remaining man alive, a gun to her lover's head. His blue eyes were staring at her through half open lids.

"I suggest you stop Ms. Devereaux," Hadeon said.

"Now, why would I do that?" she asked, aiming at the Cleaver's head.

"Because if you don't, I will shoot him dead right now."

Sophie didn't drop the gun, and a second later she heard a shot. She screamed as she saw Nate's body jerk and saw the blossom of red spreading over his chest. A second later, a Hadeon's gun was pointed at his head again. Nate's eyes were clenched shut in pain and Sophie felt herself trembling, in fear and fury.

"Drop the gun Ms. Devereaux," he said again quietly.

She started to run at him and the gun swung around to aim at her, a second later a shot ringing out. She stopped in her tracks, waiting for the pain to start, but she felt nothing. Then she saw the hole in the Clearver's head. She turned around and saw Parker in Hardison's arms, and Eliot, with his gun raised. Sophie turned back around and saw the Cleaver going down. She ran forward, pulling Nate into her arms before he fell to the ground.

"Nate, come on Nate, it's me, open your eyes," she begged and was rewarded with a fluttering of eyelids. Those perfect pools of blue were looking up at her, clear with pain, as she cradled him in her arms.

"I didn't think…you'd ever show…" he said, joking, gasping for breath.

"Don't mess with me Nathan Ford. We need to get you help," she said as Eliot came up to her side and crouched down next to them. He ripped open Nate's shirt and growled.

"This isn't good Sophie, I can't fix this myself," the hitter said.

"Well…that doesn't bode well," Nate gasped and as Eliot pressed gently against his chest he shouted in pain. "Sophie…" he breathed, his eyes glazing over.

"No Nate, don't say a word," she said, pressing a finger to his lips. "We're going to get help. You're going to be fine."

"Sophie…I'm sorry…I hurt you…" he breathed. "I'm so sorry…"

His eyes closed and his head fell backwards, as if the strings had been cut on a puppet. "Nate?" she asked desperately, shaking him. "Nate!" she shouted. "No! Don't do this!" she screamed. Eliot took the man from her arms and was running for the door, shouting at Nate, but she couldn't make out what was being said. Parker was crying in Hardison's arms and all Sophie could do was kneel there in that warehouse in Kiev, covered in the blood of the only man she had ever loved.

TBC


	7. Chapter 6: Recovery and Reconciliation

Disclaimer: I still don't freaking own Leverage, however the way the second season is going, this is the first time that's okay!

A/N: Okay, I know you hate me for not updating, but I've had major writer's block with this chapter because nothing that I played out in my head was working for me! But now I think that I have something that should work. So, my dedications, to my peeps, Macie, Joe, Tenae, Jason, Meg and Chris! You guys rule! Love you all! This one though, you guys can all thank Jason for getting on my freaking case to get the rest of this posted by Friday and work on the sequel. Yes, you heard me, sequel!

Chapter 6: Recovery and Reconciliation

Nate began to surface from the haze of drugs that had clouded his mind for the past…who knew how long. It felt like he'd been hit by a train in the chest and then run over by a bus about fifty times. Moaning, he opened his eyes and blinked rapidly at the bright lights and white walls. After a minute his vision adjusted and he was able to take in the sight around him.

It was a hospital room and Parker lay in the bed to his right. Hardison was passed out in the chair next to her. Eliot was leaning against the wall over by the door, watching Nate.

"How ya feelin' boss?" the hitter asked, shoving off the wall and walking over.

"Oh, fantastic," Nate rasped. Eliot grabbed a glass of water from the rolling table, stuck a straw in it and held it up to Nate's mouth, allowing the man to take a drink. "Is everyone okay?"

"Well, you and crazy are going to have to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but there shouldn't be any lasting damage." Nate nodded and closed his eyes, sighing. "You might want to tell her you're awake."

"Parker needs her rest, Eliot," Nate said, opening his eyes again.

"I'm not talking about Parker, I'm talkin' about her," Eliot said, nodding to the opposite side of the bed. Nate turned his head and his eyes widened in disbelief.

Sophie was sitting in a chair, her head resting on the mattress, her hand wrapped loosely around his as she slept. "It thought…"

"Nate, she was really there. And she hasn't left your side since we got here."

"Which was?" Nate asked, looking to the hitter.

"Three days. She's been a nervous wreck."

Nate saw Eliot's worn leather jacket draped over her shoulders. Her hair was messed up and her brow, even in sleep, was creased with worry. He reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her face. She sighted in her sleep and slowly her eyes fluttered open.

Sophie sat up, blinking groggily before looking around the room. She saw Eliot first, but when she saw him grin and nod at Nate, she turned her gaze to their leader. When she saw that his eyes were open she blinked slowly, making Nate chuckle. The next second she was launching herself at him.

"Careful Soph," Nate gasped.

She pulled back and kissed him. "Don't ever scare me like that again," she said, all but growling at him. "I leave you alone for three months and what do you do? You get captured, tortured within an inch of your life, shot and almost die…"

"I got sober," Nate said calmly.

Sophie's rant was cut short at his words as she looked at him, mouth gaping open and hands in midgesture. "You what?" she asked.

"I quit drinking Sophie. Your little plan worked," Nate repeated, shooting her a slight grin.

She sat there on the edge of the bed, staring at him and suddenly he wasn't sure whether she was going to kiss him again or hit him. That's when he saw her starting to tear up. "Soph, Sophie, it's okay," Nate said quietly, ignoring the pain as he sat up and gathered her into his arms and lay back, the grifter cradled against his chest. "I thought that news would make you happy, not make you cry," he whispered jokingly. His hands stroked her hair as he tried to calm her.

"I am happy to hear that, but you almost died Nate, you and Parker. If I had been there…"

"They would have gotten you too most likely. And then we'd still be in that cell if we weren't dead already. For once Sophie, my getting shot is not your fault."

She laughed at that and Nate kissed the top of her head. "There's something I want to ask you Soph, but I don't know if now is the time or place," he said.

"Oh, go ahead, it's okay."

"Really, it can wait."

"Nate…"

"Will you marry me?"

There was a silent pause, a snort of laughter from the hitter who was now on the other side of the room and then, "I thought you'd never ask."

Nate grinned madly as he gave Sophie the biggest hug he could before crushing his lips against hers. The leader expected Eliot to protest, but when he glanced over after pulling away from Sophie, he saw the hitter perched on the edge of Parker's bed, watching her. He's probably been going crazy, Nate thought as Sophie settled against him, slowly starting to drift off again. After all, Hadeon was after Eliot and Nate and Parker had been caught in the crossfire. Eliot was most likely blaming himself to some extent. Nate would have to talk to him later.

"Where would you like to go on our honeymoon?" he asked the grifter in his arms softly, knowing she wasn't far from sleep.

"'M not sure," she murmured.

"Prague?" he asked, grinning.

"Prague's nice…" was followed by a yawn.

"Tuscany?"

"Tuscany has always been good to us…" Eyelids fluttering and closing.

"I could take you to Damascus," Nate said, gently playing with her hair.

"That sounds fun…" Her voice trailed off and her breathing slowed.

"Or we could always go to Paris," he whispered in her ear.

"Not Paris!" she exclaimed, eyes flying open and sitting up to stare at Nate, who now looked terrified. Hardison jumped, waking up and falling out of his chair and Eliot burst out laughing. All the commotion almost made them miss the soft voice.

"Oh shiny tomato…"

"PARKER!" they all exclaimed. The team was back together.


	8. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage…If I did, my life would be completed!

A/N: Alright guys, this is it for this story. The Epilogue. I hope that you enjoyed the journey with me and I hope you forgive me for not updating as often as you would have liked. Things, like life, happen though. I hope to have the sequel, which will be on the light hearted side, up in a more timely fashion. Dedications for this chapter go out to Jason, Macie, Tenae, Meg, Joe, Chris and the always lovely kausingkayn. And for Rahyne and Nvrmore, I threw in a little Sterling because you showed me he doesn't have to be a piece of crap all the time. All of you rock! Don't know what I'd do without you!

Epilogue: For Better or For Worse

"Why am I doing this? Am I freaking crazy?"

"Hold still! If you don't, I'm gonna screw this up!"

"I can't believe I agreed to do this! I mean…Oh my gosh!"

"Nate!" Hardison shouted, walking forward and slapping him across the face. "Pull it together man!" Nate looked at his hacker, completely shocked that he had just been slapped. Eliot took advantage of the moment and finished doing Nate's tie before standing back.

"There," he said, turning around to grab his jacket from the chair it was draped over. "Honestly Nate, I don't know why you're freaking out so much. This has been coming for years."

"But we'll be living together! Sophie and me, living together!" he exclaimed, emphasizing each word. "What if I drive her insane and she changes her mind?"

"She's been waiting for this for ten years, I really don't think she's going to run at the first sign of trouble man," Hardison said. "Now come on, we have to beat the girls out there."

*****

"This is insane! I was crazy to agree to this! I mean…come on! We're going to drive each other crazy and then we're going to get hurt and-!"

"Sophie! Snap out of it!" Parker exclaimed, slapping the grifter. "Honestly! You two are the perfect couple! I don't see why you're freaking out! Think about it, Nate's not freaking out this bad. Deep breaths Sophie."

Sophie did as told while Theresa finished fixing up her dress. "Really Sophie, just be happy. This is your day," her friend said.

"Oh my gosh," Sophie said, walking over to the mirror and standing there, staring at herself. Her dress was a body fitting dress with one strap. There was a flower at the waist that was the top of a slit in the dress, allowing for more fabric to flow and make the dress very elegant. She had a very long veil that flowed down, covering her hair. "This is it…ten years of waiting and finally…we're here."

"Yes, you are, now we need to get you there…to the altar," Parker said, grabbing Sophie's one arm and steering her towards the door.

"I've got the bouquet!" Theresa called as the three left and headed for the sanctuary.

*****

Nate was standing next to Eliot, Hardison on the other side of the hitter. They were just standing there in front of the very small group that had gathered in St. Nicholas' church. Looking around, Nate could see Sterling in the very back of the church and when the two met each other's gaze there was a silent nod of the head. Then Sterling grinned and Nate knew that this might be the one time that the man didn't try to cause trouble.

Continuing to look around, Nate spotted Maggie, sitting in the middle of the church. She smiled at him and he tried to suppress the surprise he was feeling. Sophie must have invited her, Nate sure as heck hadn't.

The music started suddenly and he looked to the back of the sanctuary in time to see Theresa's little girl walking up the aisle slowly, tossing flower petals all over the place. He had to grin at that. And then came Sophie, being followed by Parker and Theresa, making sure that the train didn't drag on the ground. Nate felt himself smile as the grifter headed towards him. He heard the hitter's breath hitch next to him and glanced over at him, only to see Eliot's eyes locked on Parker. He raised his eyebrows and Eliot noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye, looking to Nate quickly before turning his gaze back to the three women walking up to the altar.

Sophie, Parker and Theresa made it up the steps and Sophie stood in front of Nate while the others stood at her side. Nate turned to her and reached up to stroke her cheek gently before pulling back and the two of them turned to Father Paul.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

*****

The reception was being held at Theresa's husband's restaurant, being as it was so small. The center of the floor had been cleared of tables and chairs, creating a dance floor large enough for the party. They were going to get a DJ, but then Hardison had insisted on doing it.

Nate had Sophie and was dancing with her, not letting her out of his sight. "You are beautiful Mrs. Ford," he whispered to her, smiling widely.

"And you are incredibly handsome, as always Mr. Ford," she whispered back, matching his smile.

Not far away from them, Eliot was dancing with Parker. She was extremely distracted, as always, and he couldn't help but grin at all the random observations she was making. "I just can't believe it," burst out of her mouth at one point.

"What? That Nate and Sophie finally tied the knot?" the hitter asked, looking at her.

"No, that Sterling is over there dancing with Maggie!" she exclaimed, nodding off to their right. And sure enough, when Eliot looked over, he saw the man who had tried to take them down on more than one occasion dancing with Nate's ex-wife. Of course, it was extremely tense and Maggie looked like she would love nothing more than for the gods to smite her on the spot. Eliot snorted with laughter at the sight and Parker giggled after a second.

"You dance really well," she said after a few minutes.

"You thought I was only good for cooking and beating the crap out of stuff? I've danced before Parker. I do know how to dance."

"I can see that now," she said bluntly and Eliot could only sigh and roll his eyes. They were silent for another stretch and the music changed to something faster. "And I didn't think that about you. You're good for a lot of different things," Parker continued.

"Oh really?" Eliot asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Uh huh. You're good at planning stuff, and you're good at grifting and…" she trailed off, suddenly looking slightly embarrassed and pulling away from him a little bit. But Eliot had other plans and reached out to grab her hand.

"And what Parker?"

"And you're good at saving us," she said, shocking him so much that she was able to pull away and go over to pull Maggie away from Sterling and start dancing with her. Eliot just watched the free spirited thief and grinned.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned to see Sophie standing there. "Mind if I cut in?" she asked, smiling at him. Eliot took her hand and started spinning with her in time with the music.

"Any particular reason why you wanted to dance with me instead of your husband?" Eliot asked as they danced.

"I wanted to thank you Eliot. You watched after them while I was gone and I really appreciate that. Plus, without you, we never would have been able to save them in the first place," Sophie said, meeting the hitter's gaze. "So, thank you."

"Not a problem Sophie," Eliot replied, nodding slightly.

*****

Hardison watched everyone from where he stood at the DJ's table and just grinned. "Yeah, we're back baby."

They had been through a lot in the time that they had been together, but the team was back, the team was together, and the team was closer than ever.

The End?

A/N: Okay my friends, that is the end of Let Me Be Your Hero. But…this is not the end. I have one sequel that will be up in a few days and I'm already planning a third story, that none of you, except for one person, is going to see coming. Oh yes my friends. I'm about to let loose and see what I can do. But yeah, keep your eyes open, you never know when the next bit will get here.

I would like to thank all of my readers and all of my reviewers. And hey, maybe next story, those of you who read, but don't review, come on up and tell me what you think! Even if you hate it! I welcome all opinions. And don' forget to keep watching Leverage!


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